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Uncomfortable with his own restlessness, Langdon bounces his fingers on his scrubs pants and closes his eyes. He replays the bizarre event, definitely one of many to remember in the Pitt. Swept away in the chaotic ambiance, Langdon isn’t sure how much time has passed waiting. Even with his eyes closed, Langdon notices the shift from light to dark. Despite the immediate relief and desire to keep his eyes shut, he acts on his instinct and opens them.
Mel nearly trips upon his direct eye contact, blinking some joy into Langdon’s expression.
She points to him, “I thought you were asleep.” Beginning to turn around Mel asks, “Did you want me to turn them back on?”
Langdon lips part nearly in a chuckle, until he catches his laugh with his hand. It’s not a belittling laugh, he’s amused by her appearance. Not that it’s funny, she looks different in a …different in a way he enjoys? A strange feeling that Langdon for some reason can’t help.
Mel pauses waiting for his answer, looking back at him with a head tilt and a hum. Her damp hair, loose and layered on the back of her clean scrubs. The strands that have already begun to dry bounce on her turn.
Wiping away his confounding giddy, “No. Uhm actually, you can leave the lights off.”
Mel smiles ear to ear, “Great.”
She smoothly sits on the rolling chair, and brings herself to his bedside. Langdon gets a weird feeling in his stomach, a feeling so sudden his mouth falls agape. Strange.
“What were you planning to do if I was asleep?”
Mel suddenly looks flustered, not Langdon’s intent, but she scrunches her nose in a way that brings him delight. In her state of shrinking, she says, “I was planning on gently waking you up. I would let you rest longer, but we need you out there.”
“Interesting. Was someone planning on not gently waking me?”
“Oh several - no. Just a few… a couple of doctors thought it would be fun to startle you.”
“Thanks for having my back, Mel.” Without thought, Frank reaches to touch her hands, which are clasped on the bed.
Biting her lips, then rolling her eyes, “Oh, well, I did decide that you owe me.”
Langdon studies his hand on Mels, pulling away before his lingering might make her uncomfortable. He presents a considering frown and pulls his hand away to wrestle with his hair, “I probably owe you a lot of things.”
Mel looks up as she dismisses his sincerity, “For planning on not scaring you and, more importantly, throwing myself into the splash zone…for you.” Tilting her head side to side, “I decided it was only fair you owe me something in exchange for the acts of kindness.”
This time Langdon allows his laugh, as it clearly does make sense this time, “I didn’t realize our relationship was transactional?” Strange again. Langdon accidentally stretched the word relationship, inducing flutters into his own stomach.
Replying quickly, “It’s not, but this is an exception.” Mel sighs, pouts, and plays with her hair.
Mesmerized by the movements, “And what is it you want Mel?”
Looking towards his arms, and then left hand pressed into the bed, Mel swallows and then demands, “Your hair-tie.”
Frank scans every detail of her face. From the mole by her eye, to her coral colored lips. He felt it. He heard his own intrusive thoughts exploding and sparking in his mind like the Fourth of July fireworks they shared. His mind answering the question he asked with his own desires and desperate needs.